W Is for Wendy

"Amanda, it might make things worse if Jeremy finds out. Are you sure about this?" I asked, backing off further in the direction of the kitchen.

I needed to get away from my cousin, to think what this would mean. I did escape and crossed the kitchen to fill the kettle, thinking that a couple of coffees would allow us to settle somehow. It was then that I realised just what the time was, and the fact that I had yet to change for my own date that evening.

As I returned to the lounge, Amanda was speaking on her phone.

"Right then, Lionel. ..... Maxim's in about half an hour?... See you there, honey. Bye."

Amanda stood up. Clearly she wasn't going to stay for coffee.

"I'd better go, Will. Look, thanks for talking. If that bastard husband of mine thinks I'm going to be waiting in for him tonight, he's got another think coming."

"Maxim's, you said? A nice restaurant, I hear."

"Yes, Lionel sounded surprised, and pleased. He's taking me to dinner – and maybe.... Who knows?"

She grinned rather naughtily, I thought. Lionel – whoever he was – was a lucky man.

"At least it's on the other side of town to that hotel where Jeremy takes his bit of skirt. So there's not much chance we'll run into them. I'd better go, thanks for listening, Will."

Amanda kissed me on the cheek, affectionately, we were back to just being cousins. She smiled, turned, and she was off. I closed the door behind her, turned and leant against it, tried to stop shaking and breathed a huge sigh of relief. As I looked towards the lounge I realised - I'd left the new pack of stockings I'd bought on the small table by the door! That could have been very embarrassing if she'd seen it.

Anyway, it was time now for me to get ready for my own date. Amanda had just assumed, albeit briefly, that I might be interested in her. Despite our being close and her telling me lots of stuff about Jeremy just before they got married we'd never ever discussed my own situation regarding 'partners'. She'd assumed, when she'd asked about a 'brother' that my date was a woman. Well, actually, no.